Vermont Progressive Party

The Vermont Progressive Party (VPP) is a democratic socialist and social democratic political party in Vermont that was founded in 1981 by the progressive supporters of independent Burlington mayoral candidate Bernie Sanders. The party supported a singer-payer healthcare system, renewable energy, a phase-out of nuclear energy, the creation of a high-speed rail system, criminal justice reform, anti-poverty programs, gay rights, and ending the War on Drugs and standardized testing. The party was powerful on the Burlington City Council and in elected statewide offices, and it was the third-largest party after the Democrats and Republicans.